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sem 2 > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

what is ecology ?

A

the scientific study of the processes influencing the distribution and abundance of organisms,

the interactions among organisms, and the interactions between organisms

transformation and flux of energy and matter

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2
Q

what order of organisation is studied by ecology

A
  • organisms
  • populations
  • landscapes
  • ecosystems
  • biosphere
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3
Q

what determines the distribution of rainfall?

A

global air circulation patterns

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4
Q

how are ocean currents determines?

A

prevailing winds, earth rotation and temperatures

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5
Q

what is ecological niche?

A

all the combinations of resource availability and conditions that allow individuals of a given species to complete successfully their biological cycle

a species interaction with the biotic, abiotic aspects of the environment to survive. They fill a role in the environment

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6
Q

what is Fundamental and Realised niches ?

A

Fundamental Niche: characterises the species requirements in isolation (POTENTIALdistribution) this is not the actual distribution

Realised niche: the ACTUAL a set of resources and conditions that the species uses in the presence of OTHER organisms

it is a fraction of the fundamental niche

depends on the other organisms in the environment

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7
Q

what are Abiotic resources and Biotic resources ?

give examples

A

Abiotic are resources that are non living such as water nutrients oxygen and light

Biotic resources are living such as other organisms for food, dead material, pollinators.

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8
Q

What fundamental feature makes something a resource?

A

it can be consumed and used up.

resources can be limiting.

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9
Q

What is r and K in biological formulas?

A 
r = per capita instantaneous growth rate 
K = carrying capacity, the maximum number of individuals that can be sustained in a given environment
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10
Q

as N approaches K (carrying capacity) what happens to population growth?

A

population growth approaches 0.

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11
Q

what does a large r allow?

A
  • allows for rapid growth of population

- live fast, fuck, reproduce alot and die young (r for rockstar)

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12
Q

r / K species are adapted to unpredictable / stable environments (match)

A

r species are adapted to unpredictable environments and are good disperses (in time and space)

K species adapted to stable environments and are bad disperses

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13
Q

r / K species are poor / good competitors (match)

are able to adapt to human disturbances r / K

A

r species are poor competitors, good at adapting to human disturbances

K species are good competitors, not good at adapting to human disturbances

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14
Q

what are the 3 SURVIVOR-SHIP curves? give characteristics and examples of each.

A

Type 1 - most juveniles survive into reproductive age, risk of death increases with the age of the individual. Humans are a type 1 species

Type 2 - risk of death is constant through out whole life, Birds are a type 2 species

Type 3 few individuals survive to adulthood e,g trees

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15
Q

Intraspecific competition is competition between what?

Interspecific competition is between what?

A

Intraspecific competition is competition between individuals in the same species for resources or mating etc.

interspecific competition is between different species for resources, space etc.

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16
Q

Males have to be big enough to ______ but _____

A

males have to big enough to produce sperm but fights with other males requires big bodies.

17
Q

what is sexual dimorphism?

A

males and females of the same species exhibiting different characteristics such as size, colour and behaviour.

18
Q

what is runaway selection?

A

where a certain feature benefits a male in a females choice. Although it may be detrimental in actual survivor ship. e.g peacocks with more bright spots are preferred by females despite it more easily attracting the attention of predators.

19
Q

what interactions involve one organism feeding on another?

A

Predation

parasitism

parasitoidism

grazing

20
Q

what are the types of mutualisms ? give an example of each

A

Symbiotic, corals, algae , mycorrhizae

non-symbiotic, pollinators, fruit dispersers

obligate, lichens

facultative.

21
Q

what does mycorrhizae do for plants, what does it receive from plants? what relationship are they in?

A

Mycorrhizae gives the plant nutrients (fix N) in exchange for photosynthesis products.

they are in a symbiotic relationship

22
Q

what are the 3 types of succession?

A

primary succession

secondary succession

regeneration

23
Q

what is primary succession ? who occupies it?

A

bare, previously unoccupied substrate, colonised by PIONEER species. which can tolerate stressful environments.

this then allows other species to establish.

24
Q

what is secondary succession

A

previously occupied substrate made bare by disturbance (fire, cropping, natural disturbances)

environment less stressful

sequence of arrival of species is more important

25
Q

in secondary succesion r or K species appear first, and r Or K species arrive later. Why is this? (pick)

A

r species appear first because they are good disperses and require ample resources, dominate early stages of secondary succession.

K species arrive later, do not disperse well. they grow slowly and can tolerate low levels of resources (because of r species)

26
Q

what is regeneration?

A

recovery of the community after biomass removal that leaves behind remnant plants and animals (logging, fire)

27
Q

What is biomass?

what is productivity?

A

Biomass = mass/ energy present at any given time (kg/m2)

Productivity = rate of accumulation of biomass (kg/m2/year)

28
Q

What is

Gross Primary Productivity GPP

Net primary productivity NPP

Secondary productivity

A

Gross primary acticity is all the energy fixed by primary producers (plants)

Net Primary productivity NPP is GPP minus plant respiration (is available for all the other trophic levels)

29
Q

what do food webs describe?

A

the trophic connections between species (or groups of species)

30
Q

at every stage of energy flow there is ____ because of ____ and _____

A

at every stage of energy flow there is __inefficiencies__ because of __thermodynamic laws__ and __feeding adaptations___

31
Q

what factors affect efficiency ?

A

consumption

assimilation

respiration

32
Q

what is the difference of low input and high input agriculture?

A

low input agriculture has more inefficiencies and loss of energy at each stage where as high input agriculture has low levels of loss at each stage because of fossil energy subsidies such as ploughing the field, adding pesticides and controlling weeds.

33
Q

grazers do what to nutrient cycling?

A

although the same amount of plant material exists, faeces decompose much faster than litter and nutrient return to soil accelerates, this increases plant growth.

34
Q

what happens to light intensity as water gets deeper?

what does this lead to?

A

the light declines exponentially with depth.

this leads to a loss of photosynthesis at lower depths due to the lack of light.

35
Q

what problem does the sea have and why is most of it a “desert” and has very low productivity?

A

because there is plentiful light at shallow levels but no nutrients (because it sinks to the bottom)

at the bottom there is plenty nutrients but no light so no photosynthesis.

36
Q

what is upwelling?

A

it brings nutrients close to the surface (where there is light) and increases productivity (usually around coasts)

37
Q

what is bioturbation?

A

the mixing of sediments by organisms (bottom feeders, whales, diggins)

38
Q

what was the problem with farming in cut down rain forests?

A

most of the nutrients was in the biomass, nutrient pool depleted by surface and atmospheric losses, productivity collapses

39
Q

what are the 3 main threats to the ecosystem services and biodiversity?

A

climate change

habitat destruction

invasive species

sem 2 (13 decks)

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